R3353

Miss Monochrome is an anime with each episode being 4 minutes long. It is about an idol, Miss Monochrome trying to become a well-known singer in Japan. With 4 minutes each episode including the 1 minute long ED you might be wondering if it's worth it. It is definitely worth watching if you have a little time to spare and you are just looking for a laugh. Each episode will make you laugh at least once, it's guaranteed. Story: 7 It's another story about an aspiring idol looking to make it big in Japan. Only difference being that Miss Monochrome is an android. Like most androids inanime, she is incapable of emotion most of the time. This does not hinder her charm, in fact it further enhances it. The lack of reactions during gags makes the humor that much more abundant. There is in fact a back story to why she wants to become an idol and it has something to do with another more popular idol. I will not spoil it. Art: 8 The art is modernly basic during normal scenes in which there is mostly dialogue. The scenes that are showing another idol singing or something important going on are where the art shines. The colors in these scenes have nice contrast and realistic movements. Miss Monochrome's ED is especially entertaining despite being CGI. Sound: 8 There is no OP for this anime, and I applaud it for that as most other short episode anime never have enough time for the actual show because of this. It does however have an ED it is appropriately named "Poker Face". No it's not a Lady Gaga cover. It is a Miss Monochrome original that fits her perfectly because as I mentioned before, she is incapable of emotion. The voice acting for this anime is quite good. Maneo, the manager is well voiced. Miss Monochrome herself is monotone due to being an android so she's great too. Character: 10 I needed to give Miss Monochrome a 10 for characters. This anime has single-handedly created the most spectacular character of all time ever to exist in anime... Ruu-chan. Its dialogue was amazing! It further added to the story, without it I don't think Miss Monochrome could exist. It has the most heart breaking back story I have ever seen in any piece of media ever. Alas, tragedy strikes. I don't want to go into spoiler territory... But I cried... A lot. Another semi important character is Miss Monochrome herself. She is very spontaneous with the ideas she comes up with for becoming famous. She also orgasms from batteries. Maneo is her Manager. He gets her tons of gigs that she ultimately ruins in one way or another. Kikuko is the main big idol whom Miss Monochrome has a tragic past with. She is the drive for Miss Monochrome to become an idol. Mana is just some cunt of a loli that although I hate to admit it. Without her the story would not have been set into motion. Enjoyment: 10 Although it's short, I really enjoyed this anime. Every second that Ruu-chan was on screen was another second of enjoyment. Miss Monochrome definitely went beyond my expectations in terms of enjoyment. I hope we get a season 2. Overall: 8 Miss Monochrome deserves the score I give it. It has created a character that will forever change anime as a whole. Ruu-chan has set an all-time high for my expectations for anime characters in the future. As I said before, I hope Miss Monochrome gets a second season. I need more Ruu-chan.

CivilC

Often times anime that have very short episode lengths get dismissed by the community as automatically lifeless and humorless shows with little to no world-building and characterization of characters. With Miss Monochrome having four minute episodes with one minute dedicated to the ending song, one would probably assume this about this show. Though many of the complaints may be justified, Miss Monochrome is surprisingly great for what it is and was enjoyable the whole way through. To simplify the plot, Miss Monochrome is an android that aspires to be a Japanese idol with a manager, gigs, etc. On her way to her eventual goal, she oftengets herself into random situations to get exposure for herself, get jobs, and meet up with people to allow her pursuit of becoming an idol. The plot is the weakest part of the show as three minutes does not allow for much plot progression. Thankfully, each episode's story is really self-contained and besides the first and last two episodes of the series, the rest of the episodes follow no real story. This brings me to the strongest point of the anime: the characters. In Miss Monochrome there are not many main characters. Miss Monochrome, her manager, Ruu-chan (bless her soul), and Kikuko are the most important. The star of the show, however, is Miss Monochrome herself. I don't know what it is I love about her, but her design, her mesmerizing dance in the ending, her battery hijinks, and her unique autotuned voice all contribute to one cute character. As of writing this the second season of Monochrome is airing and I can't wait to start it to see more of our favorite idol android. Overall, I give this short little anime an 8/10. Usually anime like this aren't that enjoyable to me, but this show is one of the best of its kind. If you are in the mood for something quick and cute with a "colorful" main character, I recommend this to you.